It cannot be emphasized enough how great the benefits of stretching are. Just because we don’t see the immediate benefits of stretching doesn’t mean that it is not important. When we stretch properly it does a number of things, one of the most overlooked things is that it signals the muscles to get ready for exercise.
Stretching has a benefit of reducing muscle tension it will also make you feel more relaxed in yourself. Stretching helps prevent muscle injuries because a pre-stretched muscle resists stress better than a un-stretched muscle. The question is often asked should you stretch before you start to exercise and of course the answer is yes, but it is important to do a mild warm-up before you start the actual stretching. It is sort of like what comes first the chicken or the egg, the basic rule of thumb is to warm up for at least 10 minutes before stretching.
Just remember when warming up, do not push your body and your muscles to the limits. Realistically, it can take up the 20 minutes to really warm your body up, so keep this in mind when you start going through your stretching routine. If you feel the muscles seem to be super tight then go back into your warming up routine.
When at home and not going into an exercise routine then a great time to start a stretching routine is during the ad breaks on TV, this may be a little short at first but it will get you into the habit of stretching. So where do we get information on a stretching routine, the simple answer to this is a book I refer to all the time it is simply called “stretching” and it is written by Bob Anderson. The other way you could do it, is to rent out a stretching book from a library and copy down the routine you need for your particular sport or lifestyle.
Try stretching for a minimum of four weeks and see how much better you feel, when you feel the benefits you are more likely to keep going. Good luck.